Swiss Peace Note in support of President Wilson, December 23, 19161

The President of the United States of America has just addressed to the Governments of the Entente and to the Central Powers a note in favour of peace. He has been good enough to communicate it to the Swiss Federal Council, which, inspired by the ardent desire to see an early cessation of hostilities, got into touch with him as long as five weeks ago.

In this note President Wilson recalls how desirable it is to come to international agreements with a view to avoiding, in a permanent and sure manner, such catastrophes as those which the peoples have to suffer to-day. Before all, he insists upon the necessity of putting an end to the present war. He himself does not formulate peace proposals, nor does he propose his mediation. He limits himself to sounding the belligerents in order to ascertain whether humanity may hope to-day that it has advanced towards a beneficent peace.

The generous personal initiative of President Wilson will not fail to awaken a profound echo in Switzerland. Faithful to the duties. which the strictest observation of neutrality imposes upon her, united by the same friendship to the two groups of Powers at present at war, isolated in the midst of the frightful mêlée of the peoples, seriously threatened and affected in her spiritual and material interests, our country longs for peace.

Switzerland is ready to aid with all her feeble strength in putting an end to the sufferings of war which she sees being endured every day by the interned, the seriously wounded, and the deported. She, too, is willing to lay the foundations for a fruitful collaboration of the peoples. That is why the Swiss Federal Council seizes with joy the opportunity to support the efforts of the President of the United States of America. She would esteem herself happy if she

1The Times, London, December 26, 1916. Addressed to all the belligerent Governments. Norway, Sweden and Denmark likewise addressed these Governments in support of President Wilson, in an identical note of December 22, 1916, no official text of which is available. These notes were briefly acknowledged by the Entente Allies on January 17, 1917, the four States being referred for fuller reply to the joint note to President Wilson of January 10, 1917. Ibid., January 18, 1917. For the replies of the Central Governments to the Swiss note, see post, pp. 36, 37. Germany, on January 1, 1917, briefly acknowledged the Scandinavian note, concluding with the remark: "It depends upon the reply of the Entente whether the attempt to give back to the world the blessings of peace will be crowned with success." The New York Times, January 4, 1917. For the Austro-Hungarian reply to the Scandinavian note, see post, p. 45.

could, even in the most modest measure, work for the rapprochement of the nations at war and the establishment of a lasting peace.

German Reply to President Wilson's Peace Note, December 26,

19161

Ambassador Gerard to the Secretary of State

[TELEGRAM-PARAPHRASE]

AMERICAN EMBASSY,

Berlin, December 26, 1916.

Mr. Gerard reports receipt of a note from the German Foreign Office, dated December 26, 1916, as follows:

"FOREIGN OFFICE, "Berlin, December 26, 1916.

"With reference to the esteemed communication of December 21, Foreign Office No. 15118, the undersigned has the honor to reply as follows: To His Excellency the Ambassador of the United States of America, Mr. James W. Gerard.

"The Imperial Government has accepted and considered in the friendly spirit which is apparent in the communication of the President, noble initiative of the President looking to the creation of bases for the foundation of a lasting peace. The President discloses the aim which lies next to his heart and leaves the choice of the way open. A direct exchange of views appears to the Imperial Government as the most suitable way of arriving at the desired result. The Imperial Government has the honor, therefore, in the sense of its declaration of the 12th instant, which offered the hand for peace negotiations, to propose the speedy assembly, on neutral ground, of delegates of the warring States.

"It is also the view of the Imperial Government that the great work for the prevention of future wars can first be taken up only after the ending of the present conflict of exhaustion. The Imperial Government is ready, when this point has been reached, to cooperate with the United States at this sublime task.

"The undersigned, while permitting himself to have recourse to good offices of His Excellency the Ambassador in connection with the transmission of the above reply to the President of the United

1Official print of the Department of State.

States, avails himself of this opportunity to renew the assurances of his highest consideration.

"ZIMMERMAN."

Austro-Hungarian Reply to President Wilson's Peace Note,

December 26, 19161

Ambassador Penfield to the Secretary of State

[TELEGRAM]

AMERICAN EMBASSY,

Vienna, December 26, 1916.

Following, dated December 26, received to-day from Austro-Hungarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs:

"AIDE MEMOIRE

"In reply to the aide memoire communicated on the 22d instant by His Excellency the American Ambassador, containing the proposals of the President of the United States of America for an exchange of views among the powers at present at war for the eventual establishment of peace, the Imperial and Royal Government desires particularly to point out that in considering the noble proposal of the President it is guided by the same spirit of amity and complaisance as finds expression therein.

"The President desires to establish a basis for a lasting peace without wishing to indicate the ways and means. The Imperial and Royal Government considers a direct exchange of views among the belligerents to be the most suitable way of attaining this end. Adverting to its declaration of the 12th instant, in which it announced its readiness. to enter into peace negotiations, it now has the honor to propose that representatives of the belligerent powers convene at an early date at some place on neutral ground.

"The Imperial and Royal Government likewise concurs in the opinion of the President that only after the termination of the present war will it be possible to undertake the great and desirable work of the prevention of future wars. At an appropriate time it will be willing to cooperate with the United States of America for the realization of this noble aim."

PENFIELD.

1Official print of the Department of State.

Turkish Reply to President Wilson's Peace Note, December 26,

19161

Ambassador Elkus to the Secretary of State

[TELEGRAM]

AMERICAN Embassy,

Constantinople, December 26, 1916.

In reply to the President's message communicated to the Sublime Porte on the 23d instant, Minister for Foreign Affairs handed me to-day a note of which the following is a translation:

"MR. AMBASSADOR: In reply to the note which Your Excellency was pleased to deliver to me under date of the twenty-third instant, number 2107, containing certain suggestions of the President of the United States, I have the honor to communicate to Your Excellency the following:

"The generous initiative of the President, tending to create bases for the reestablishment of peace, has been received and taken into consideration by the Imperial Ottoman Government in the same friendly obliging (?) which manifests itself in the President's communication. The President indicates the object which he has at heart and leaves open the choice of that path leading to this object. The Imperial Government considers a direct exchange of ideas as the most efficacious means of attaining the desired result.

"In conformity with its declaration of the twelfth of this month, in which it stretched forth its hand for peace negotiations, the Imperial Government has the honor of proposing the immediate meeting, in a neutral country, of delegates of the belligerent powers.

"The Imperial Government is likewise of opinion that the great work of preventing future wars can only be commenced after the end of the present struggle between the nations. When this moment shall have. arrived the Imperial Government will be pleased [to] collaborate with the United States of America and with the other neutral powers in this sublime task.

"(Signed) HALIL."

ELKUS.

Austro-Hungarian Reply to the Swiss Peace Note, December 27,

19162

[TRANSLATION]

The undersigned, Minister for Foreign Affairs, has had the honor

1Official print of the Department of State.

2Le Figaro, Paris, December 28, 1916.

to receive the esteemed note of December 23d, in which the Minister Plenipotentiary of Switzerland, Dr. Burckhardt, was good enough to communicate to us, under instructions, the desire of the Swiss Federal Council to endorse the initiative taken by the President of the United States with the belligerent Governments for the purpose of ending the present war and of effectively providing against all war in the future.

The noble efforts of President Wilson received a most cordial welcome from the Imperial and Royal Government, to which it gave expression in the note delivered yesterday to the American Ambassador at Vienna, a copy of which is attached hereto with the request that the Minister of Switzerland be good enough to bring this document to the attention of the Swiss Federal Council.

The undersigned, Minister for Foreign Affairs, permits himself to add that the Imperial and Royal Government views the endorsement by the Federal Government of the efforts of President Wilson as the expression of the noble and humanitarian sentiments which Switzerland has manifested since the beginning of the war with regard to all the belligerent Powers and which it has put in practice in so generous and friendly a manner.

German Reply to the Swiss Peace Note, December 28, 19161

The Imperial Government has taken note of the fact that the Swiss Federal Council, as a result of its having placed itself in communication some time ago with the President of the United States of America, is also ready to take action side by side with them towards bringing about an understanding between the belligerent nations and towards the attainment of a lasting peace. The spirit of true humanity by which the step of the Swiss Federal Council is inspired is fully appreciated and esteemed by the Imperial Gov

ernment.

The Imperial Government has informed the President of the United States that a direct exchange of views seems to them to be the most suitable means of obtaining the desired result. Led by the same considerations which caused Germany on December 12 to offer her hand for peace negotiations, the German Government has proposed. an immediate meeting of delegates of all the belligerents at a neutral.

The Times, London, December 29, 1916.